WebProNews

Tag: Government

  • Ukraine Protests Continue: At Least Two Protestors Slain

    Reports indicate that turmoil is amplifying in Ukraine as protests stretch beyond its capital.

    On Friday, protestors in cities near Kiev surrounded government buildings, confronting authorities. The demonstrations, which began in November, were initially spurred after Ukraine opted out from signing an accord on more cooperation with the EU, and instead decided to strengthen its relationship with Russia.

    The discord came to a head last week and devolved into violence on the heels of new anti-protest laws. Sunday there were reports that demonstrators launched firebombs into the Ukrainian House building and set off fireworks while police were inside.

    Authorities retaliated with tear gas.

    President Viktor Yanukovych recently made proposals to the opposition, when he extended to their leader, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the position of Prime Minister, suggesting Valai Klitschko (former boxer) also take the post of deputy prime minister. Yatsenyuk, a former foreign minister, rejected the offer, insisting that key demands must be met, including new elections, and that talks will continue.

    While the concession itself is considered a coup, the opposition aspires to a full coup d’etat and is proceeding as such.

    Despite the uncertainty about whether President Yanukovych even means to honor the proposals he has offered, the move is regardless viewed as a weakness on his part and fuel for the opposition to move forward. However, it is surmised that Yanukovych has a method to his madness as well; by prolonging negotiations with the opposition and centering attention and time onto Yatsenyuk potentially being appointed the position of prime minister, the energy of the protest movement could slowly deflate should with the redirected the focus.

    As the most recent Kiev incident illustrates, however, there’s no absence of passion in the protests, presently.

    In half the country, demonstrators have fervently pressed on past Kiev in all directions. Protesters have occupied the council building in Sumy, been exposed to tear gas and smoke grenades by police in Zaporizhzhya, were arrested and driven out of the regional state and administration building in Cherkasy, and erected barricades outside a Chernihiv regional administration building.

    Following the 100 protester occupation on Saturday at the headquarters of the energy ministry in Kiev, Minister Eduard Stavitskiy has said the country’s nuclear energy facilities are on high alert.

    However, the consequences were direr for some demonstrators.

    Last week, 25 year-old Mikhail Zhiznevsky was one of at least two activists killed. In Kiev, thousands of his fellow protesters carried his coffin though the streets while loudly praising him with the chant “hero!

    During his weekly Angelus prayer, Pope Francis said, “I am close to Ukraine in prayer, in particular to those who have lost their lives in recent days and to their families,” expressing a hope for “constructive dialogue between the institutions and civil society,” and adding that “the spirit of peace and a search for the common good should be in the hearts of all.”

    He then had two peace doves released… and this happened:

    Image via Youtube

  • Medicare Funding Decreases, Hurts UnitedHealth

    The UnitedHealth Group (UNH) spoke out this Thursday about its fourth-quarter profits, which was the first quarter under ObamaCare. UNH says that they still saw a slightly better than expected fourth quarter, due to an “overall lower medical spending trend” as fewer customers were checking into hospitals. (The rise was from $29 billion to $31 billion, about 8%.) However, funding cuts to their Medicare Advantage plan hurt the company in its shares, which fell 3%.

    The Medicare Advantage plan is a program provided by private companies (like UnitedHealth) to provide both Part A and Part B benefits to people already enrolled in Medicare. The insurer claims that overall, their Medicare Advantage program has always been “underfunded.” UnitedHealth estimated that the government underfunded the Advantage program by almost 7% in 2013. CEO Stephen Hemsley says the cuts are to be blamed on “ObamaCare savings,” and that the company will “continue to be watchful of funding pressure” and “advocate for strong and reasonable funding.”

    Despite the cuts, UnitedHealth is still sticking to its pre-ObamaCare outlook, which projects a revenue of $128 billion for 2014, and around $5.40 per share. The projections are based on an upward trend of more and more people signing up for the program; UnitedHealth added 425,000 Medicare Advantage members in 2013, a 17% gain.

    The Centers for Medicare are expected to announce a proposed funding plan in February.

    Image via Dept. of Health & Human Services

  • Steven Seagal Talks About Running For Governor

    One of Hollywood’s toughest action fighters is thinking about running for governor.

    Steven Seagal, 61, mentioned the idea in an interview while talking about his reality show “Steven Seagal – Lawman: Maricopa County.”

    The Arizona-based TV series, which airs on the Reelz Channel, is a team effort between he and the “toughest sheriff in America”, Joe Arpaio.

    Recently, he has confided in Arpaio, a Maricopa County Sheriff, about taking a shot at entering the race for Arizona’s highest elected office.

    Seagal’s background in working as a deputy in New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana has given him a head start to some of the agendas he would push forward.

    Seagal is very passionate about illegal immigration and he makes it clear that increasing border patrol would be one of his main focuses while in office.

    His interests in running for governor seem very much similar to one of Hollywood’s former action hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously was the governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

    Yet, the “I’ll be back” actor isn’t the only movie star turned politician or one who has attempted to be in the political arena for that matter.

    Others include:

    • Ronald Regan- He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild but then went on to serve as President of The U.S. in 1981 to 1989.
    • Shirley Temple- The famous child star from the 1930’s ended her career as the ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
    • Jerry Springer- He was the former Democratic mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio before becoming a TV presenter.
    • Howard Stern- The big-time radio presenter ran for governor of New York in 1994.

    Maybe the U.S. will see yet another actor take on the role of governor someday.

    So, what do you think about Seagal’s proposition?

    Image via Youtube, KTNV Channel 13

  • Americans More Wary of “Big Government” Than Ever Before

    With the U.S. Congress now seemingly more divided than ever, Americans are getting more suspicious of “big government.”

    A new Gallup Poll conducted in early December has found that record numbers of Americans now view big government as a bigger threat than either “big business” or “big labor.” A full 72% of U.S. adults polled believe big government is the largest threat to America’s future, followed by only 21% who believe big business is the largest threat and only 5% who are most wary of big labor.

    Americans’ distrust in government has been steadily rising since Gallup began asking this question in 1965, when big government garnered 35% in the poll. Big government did fall to only 47% mistrust and big business distrust rose to 38% in the poll during the early 00s corporate scandals such as Enron. This happened again to a smaller degree at the beginning of the financial crisis and recession in 2008. Despite these momentary spikes in negative business perception, the upward trend of American mistrust in big government is clear and this year’s findings are the most distrustful Americans have ever been of government since the mid-60s.

    Distrust of big labor, on the other hand, has been slowly decreasing since 1965. Though 29% of Americans were declared big labor a bigger threat than government and business, that percentage has leveled out at around or lower than 10% since the mid-90s. This likely reflects the state of unions in the U.S. as a whole over the past five decades.

    Though Republicans are, predictably, the most mistrustful of big government (92% this year), even a majority of Democrats (56%) believe big government is a bigger threat than big business or big labor.

    Though this year’s poll does fit an overall trend, it also comes during at time in which government programs are coming under increased scrutiny. The botched October rollout of the Healthcare.gov website and House Republicans’ shutdown of the U.S. government caused American opinions of Congress to hit new lows. The year-long flow of revelations about worldwide and domestic NSA spying has also given big government opponents a perfect, modern example of the worst sort of government abuse.

  • ‘Deer Trail’ Drones: Residents Want to Shoot Down

    It’s normal for hunters to consider shooting at deer and other forms of wildlife, but shooting at government drones is not something to cross the average mind. However, one community recently thought about this option. On Tuesday, the population of Deer Trail, Colorado, (598 residents) was set to vote on an ordinance deciding whether shooting federal drones would be permissible by law. The ordinance proposed specifications for the types of weapons and ammunition that would be deemed acceptable when aiming at the drones. Unfortunately, plans shifted when Mayor Frank Fields announced that the ordinance must first be considered by a district court to determine potential legalities for firing at such drones. Many in the community have felt that the presence of the drones violates citizen privacy guidelines.

    Resident Phillip Steel is not happy with the drones hovering in the vicinity and offered a suggestion. “I am proposing to shoot it down.” He said before adding, “What has me fired up is it’s trespassing. It doesn’t belong there. Yes, it’s privacy. But that’s only one part of it. Who’s going to be flying these drones?”

    Resident Robert Copely agreed with Steel, and said that if the need arose he would also want to shoot at a drone. “I would shoot a drone down if it’s peering in my window, scanning me, and it’s within elevation where I can nail it,” Copely said.

    Not all residents consider the placement of the drones to be a violation. Daniel Domanoski does not agree with his fellow residents. “That’s a federal offense to destroy government property, and on top of that it’s a ridiculous thing and embarrassing the town,” he said.

    According to the Federal Aviation Administration, “The overall purpose of this test site program is to develop a body of data and operational experiences to inform integration and the safe operation of these aircraft in the National Airspace System.”

    The FAA plans to place six similar drone sites; however, location details have not been made available to the public. The administration will allow the use of these drones within domestic areas until 2015.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Internet Giants Urge U.S. To Reform Government Surveillance

    Internet Giants Urge U.S. To Reform Government Surveillance

    AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo have joined together to urge the U.S. government to reform government surveillance laws and practices.

    The companies have set up a website called Reform Government Surveillance, where they outline five principles, and offer commentary from the CEOs of each company (Brad Smith, General Counsel and EVP, Legal and Corporate Affairs speaks up for Microsoft, which is currently between CEOs).

    Principles discussed include limiting governments’ authority to collect users’ info, oversight and accountability, transparency about government demands, respecting the free flow of info, and avoiding conflicts among governments.

    “Reports about government surveillance have shown there is a real need for greater disclosure and new limits on how governments collect information,” says Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. “The US government should take this opportunity to lead this reform effort and make things right.”

    “The security of users’ data is critical, which is why we’ve invested so much in encryption and fight for transparency around government requests for information,” says Google CEO Larry Page. “This is undermined by the apparent wholesale collection of data, in secret and without independent oversight, by many governments around the world. It’s time for reform and we urge the US government to lead the way.”

    Google’s Transparency Report is available here. It was updated last month, showing that government requests for user information have doubled over the past three years.

    Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer says, “Protecting the privacy of our users is incredibly important to Yahoo. Recent revelations about government surveillance activities have shaken the trust of our users, and it is time for the United States government to act to restore the confidence of citizens around the world. Today we join our colleagues in the tech industry calling on the United States Congress to change surveillance laws in order to ensure transparency and accountability for government actions.”

    Like Facebook and Google, Yahoo has had its own share of privacy concerns from users in recent months. For example, the company implemented an email address recycling program, and new account holders have been getting sensitive emails meant for previous account holders. Yahoo has maintained that this has only happened to a small number of users.

    To its credit, the company recently announced that all Yahoo products will be encrypted by the end of Q1.

    The companies have put together an open letter to President Obama and Congress, which is included on the site. We’ve also included it below:

    Dear Mr. President and Members of Congress,

    We understand that governments have a duty to protect their citizens. But this summer’s revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide. The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual — rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It’s time for a change.

    For our part, we are focused on keeping users’ data secure — deploying the latest encryption technology to prevent unauthorized surveillance on our networks and by pushing back on government requests to ensure that they are legal and reasonable in scope.

    We urge the US to take the lead and make reforms that ensure that government surveillance efforts are clearly restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight. To see the full set of principles we support, visit ReformGovernmentSurveillance.com

    Sincerely,

    AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo

    Will it make a difference?

    Image: Google ZeitgeistMinds (YouTube)

  • Congresswoman Mugged in DC For Gucci Handbag

    DC can be a dangerous place, and it seems like nobody, not even Congressional representatives, are truly safe. Grace Meng was faced with this reality head-on when she was attacked on Tuesday night. The New York Representative from Queens was walking down the street that evening after a pleasant dinner on capitol hill, when she was hit on the head by an unknown attacker. She fell to the ground, unconscious, and her Gucci handbag was stolen. Luckily, she was able to keep a hold of a seperate, cloth tote bag, which held all of her valuables, including her iPhone, money, and credit cards.

    The incident took place around 8:30 PM, and Representative Meng was found by responding officers on the corner of 2nd Street and Independence Avenue, unconscious and bruised from the blow. She was transported to the George Washington University Hospital, where she was treated for abrasions, bruising, swelling and unconsciousness. She told doctors and nurses that she had no memory of what had happened after she left the dinner, or exactly how her purse had been stolen. No suspects have been found yet, but finger prints have been lifted from an old cell phone that fell out of her bag as the attacker fled.

    Meng has proved resilient throughout the entire incident. She was quoted as saying, “I’m from New York City and I have not been mugged like that. But the Capitol Police were great, the D.C. Police Department was very helpful.” She missed some voting in the House on Wednesday afternoon, but arrived later in the day to carry out business as usual. She also tweeted about the incident, thanking people for their support and kindness, as well as ensuring that she was back on the job.

    Meng is a Democratic representative, and is known for her work with minorities and immigration laws. This writer is glad to hear that she is doing so well in the face of such a scare, and wishes her a speedy recovery and swift justice for the person who attacked her.

    [Image courtesy of Grace Meng’s official Twitter page.]

  • This Anarchist Wants To Use Bitcoin to Crowdfund Assassins

    This Anarchist Wants To Use Bitcoin to Crowdfund Assassins

    Forbes author Andy Greenberg wrote today about an encrypted email he received from a person who called themselves Kuwabatake Sanjuro. Sanjuro claimed to have designed a Deepweb site called the Assassination Market, which apparently has the capability to “crowdfund” political assassinations in a similar manner as Kickstarter.

    For the technically unfamiliar, “the Deepweb” or “DarkNet” (depending on who you’re talking to) is the part of the internet that remains inaccessible and uncatalogued by most websites due to anonymizing protocols like Tor. Sites that exist in this unexplored frontier operate on a scale from legal ‘gray markets’ that appear as an eBay for criminals to terrorist groups attempting to solicit donations for their violent agenda.

    In an email to Greenberg, Sanjuro said the site went up four months ago, and six targets have been submitted. Those six targets (and their bounties) include: 10 bitcoins for the death of Gen. Keith Alexander; 40 bitcoins for the assassination of President Obama; and the site’s largest bounty, 124.14 bitcoin, for the head of Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve and one of the biggest opponents of bitcoin banking.

    The aspirations that Sanjuro has for his site are terrifying. As Greenberg put it, Sanjuro hopes to greenlight enough political murder to scare politicians into returning their power to the masses. “[The Assassination Market will] destroy all governments, everywhere,” he said.

    “Thanks to this system, a world without wars, dragnet panopticon-style surveillance, nuclear weapons, armies, repression, money manipulation, and limits to trade is firmly within our grasp for but a few bitcoins per person,” he added. “I also believe that as soon as a few politicians gets offed and they realize they’ve lost the war on privacy, the killings can stop and we can transition to a phase of peace, privacy and laissez-faire.”

    Greenberg went as far to contact the FBI and the Secret Service, who declined to comment on the Assassination Market.

    One thing is for certain, though: the idea of cryptographically-concealed currencies being used to fund assassinations has been discussed by numerous computer science experts since the 1990’s. Sanjuro’s efforts were spurred by the PRISM leak from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

    The idea for an online “assassin’s market” originated in 1992 from a former Intel engineer who wrote that uncrackable cypher messages combined with encrypted, anonymous donations would give rise to online assassination markets. A second former Intel engineer named Jim Bell described how such a system might be implemented in an essay called “Assassination Politics.”

    Like the earlier generation of “cypherpunk” enthusiasts, Sajuro places his faith in cryptography. He claims that “with cryptography, the state, or any protection firm, is largely obsolete…all activity that can be reduced to information transfer will be completely out of the government’s, or anyone’s, hands, other than the parties involved.”

    But even the world-famous Deepweb drug hub SilkRoad (and its engineer) were busted by the feds in spite of all the anonymity. Unlike Dread Pirate Roberts, Sanjuro claims he has put “measures in place to prevent the effectiveness of such an arrest. Naturally these will have to be kept secret.”

    In conclusion, Sanjuro said simply, “I am a crypto-anarchist… [and] We have a bright future ahead of us.”

    If you want to read more on the burgeoning world of crowdfunded assassins, do yourself a favor and check out Greenberg’s piece in Forbes.

    If you want to learn about how Bitcoins came about and how they’re used, this Lionel commentary represents an eloquent explanation.

    [Image via Thinkstock]

  • Million Mask March Protests…Stuff…

    Million Mask March Protests…Stuff…

    Remember, remember!
    The fifth of November,
    The Gunpowder treason and plot;
    I know of no reason
    Why the Gunpowder treason
    Should ever be forgot!

    So begins many different iterations of poetry derived from the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt by Catholics to depose the Protestant King James I and replaced him with a Catholic head-of-state. The most famous member of this treasonous plot, Guy Fawkes, was captured by authorities while trying to light 36 gunpowder kegs underneath Parliament, in hopes of killing the King and other members of the British government. The Guy Fawkes figure was later adapted by Alan Moore in his graphic novel, “V for Vendetta,” which was then turned into a hugely successful motion picture.

    Now, the Guy Fawkes image has been adapted once again for another use. This time, the hacktivist group Anonymous has adopted the image to represent their fight against… the world? On their main website and Facebook page, Anonymous encourages people in 450+ locations to march against their governments on November 5th. Their cause? “To remind this world what it has forgotten, That fairness, justice, and freedom are more than just words” What that means, exactly, no one knows. Anonymous made sure to point out that the march has no leader and is only a movement, not an organization.

    Despite the fact that the movement is leaderless, it has gained some steam. More than 17,000 people RSVP’d to attend demonstrations in Washington, D.C., where such topics as nuclear warfare, political corruption, and NSA actions were spoken against. However, it is unlikely that the demonstrations will see more than 1 million people march, especially with a paltry showing of 50 people at Time Square in New York City.

    The lack of support for the Million Mask March is most likely due in large part due to the incoherent nature of the march itself. Not only is Anonymous involved, but also other social protest groups, such as Wikileaks, the Pirate Party, and the Occupy Movement. While all of these groups can label themselves under the banner of standing against government corruption and inequality, there is no real “joining” rhetoric or propaganda. If the Occupy Movement made no real head-way with their months of “organized’ protests, how does the Million Mask March plan to create any real change?

    The most effective thing this march does is put money into the hands of Time Warner, the company that owns the rights to the Guy Fawkes image worn by all the protesters. The other accomplishment of this march is to misrepresent history. Guy Fawkes was not an anti-authoritarian figure – he was trying to depose one king only to establish another. And Guy Fawkes Night was traditionally celebrated in England as an anti-Catholic holiday after the assassination attempt failed and the Protestants reappropriated the day.

    While it may be true that Anonymous is one of the most influential groups in the world, this march is nothing more than typical American grandstanding. Anonymous should stick to their hacking ways and leave organized protest to those more socially adept.

    [Image via Twitter]

  • Food Stamps: Benefits Cut By $5 Billion

    An automatic cut to the food stamp program–known as SNAP–will go into effect today after the temporary expansion from a 2009 stimulus expires, meaning about 47 million people will need to dramatically alter their food budgets.

    The program may see more cuts over the next several years as well, as lawmakers intend to tighten restrictions on who can qualify. House Republicans have already voted on a bill that would cut around $39 billion from SNAP over the next ten years. According to the Washington Post, there would be two major changes:

    First, it would reinstate limits on benefits for able-bodied, childless adults aged 18 to 50. These recipients would only be able to collect limited benefits — up to three months over a three-year period — unless they worked more than 20 hours per week or enrolled in job-training programs. The second big change is that the House bill would restrict states’ abilities to determine a person’s eligibility for food stamps based in part on whether they qualify for other low-income benefits. This is known as “categorical eligibility” and has generally allowed families just above the poverty line to receive food stamps if they have unusually high housing costs or are facing other hardships.

    The way the cuts affect individuals will vary, because there is no set amount per family, but it’s estimated that families will see a reduction in their benefits by 5 to 8%. Several states have started referring residents to churches and food banks to fill the gaps, but those organizations are already stretched to the limit.

    “Food banks are really being hit,” said Lynn Brantley, president of the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington. “With the drop in commodities, the higher cost of food and the higher cost of gasoline, we have to be ever-creative at working at ways to fulfill a tremendous gap.”

  • NSA Washington March Draws Hundreds of Protestors

    Hundreds of anti-NSA protestors gathered in Washington, D.C. on Saturday to take part in the “Stop Watching Us” rally. The people marched in front of the Capitol to protest the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance of American citizens. Several White House politicians were in attendance at the rally that the ACLU called the “biggest protest yet against NSA spying.”

    Representative Justin Amash was one of the politicians at the NSA march on Washington. Amash, who has been working to limit NSA surveillance programs, was quick to point out that the problems with the NSA aren’t partisan issues. “This is for Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, conservatives and liberals, everyone in between,” said Amash.

    According to The Guardian, Amash was right, as the crowd featured a mix of Republicans, Democrats and everything in between. This was quite a change in pace from all of the partisan angst that has been associated with Obamacare over the past few weeks.

    Amash is hopeful that the U.S.A. Freedom Act, a bill that would that limit the mass collection of data by the NSA, will be passed after it is introduced in the House next week. “We’re going to keep fighting and we’re going to pass something to rein in the NSA,” Amash said. Amash tried to get a similar bill passed this past July, but failed.

    A statement made by Edward Snowden, the man responsible for the NSA leaks who is hiding out in Russia, was read at the anti-NSA rally. “This is about the unconstitutional, unethical, and immoral actions of the modern-day surveillance state and how we all must work together to remind government to stop them,” Snowden said. “It’s about our right to know, to associate freely, and to live in an open society.”

    Snowden delivered a warning to lawmakers in his statement. “We declare that mass surveillance has no place in this country…Elections are coming and we’re watching you. Today, no telephone in America makes a call without leaving a record with the NSA. Our representatives in Congress tell us this is not surveillance. They’re wrong,” Snowden said.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • The Government Shutdown Is Over, Debt Ceiling Raised

    The Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, have come up with the Reid McConnel deal, which was passed earlier Wednesday by both the House and Senate, ultimately ending the government shutdown and avoiding default.The plan will fund the government through January 15th, and then raise the debt ceiling through February 7th of next year.

    (image) (image)

    The Reid McConnel deal passed the Democratic-led Senate at a staggering 81-18 through a bi-partisan vote. The bill was then sent to the US House of Representatives and passed by 285 votes to 144, making up just a smidge over the two thirds to pass it, with support of the bill coming from a minority of Republicans, and a majority of Democrats. Obama signed the bill into law at about 11:30 AM CST.

    The White House budget office announced that federal workers are planned to return to work on Thursday. “Non-essential” parts of government will be up and running again, with reopened parks, thorough inspections by the USDA, and funding for NASA.

    The bill does not make any noticeable changes regarding the Affordable Care Act, to which House Republican leaders originally sought to fight and derail.

    Reid and McConnel came together earlier this week to come up with a plan, since discussion of a potential compromise between President Obama and House Republicans was stonewalled.

    After the announcement about the agreement with McConnell, Reid urged Congress to consider finally burying the axe of the divide created by the partisanship.

    “This is not a time for pointing fingers and blame. This is a time of reconciliation,” Reid said “I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of this great Capitol to pass this remarkable agreement that will protect the long term health of our economy and avert a default on our nation’s debt, and allow us to set a foundation for economic expansion.”

    “What we’ve done is sent a message to Americans from every one of our 50 states, but in addition to that, to the citizens of every country in the world, that the United States lives up to its obligations.”

    (Pictures via WikiCommons (1), (2) (3))

     

  • Ashton Carter, Deputy Defense Secretery, Steps Down

    Ashton Carter, Deputy Defense Secretary under Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, announced on Thursday his plans for stepping down from his position in December. He has been in top Pentagon positions for four years, according to Reuters.

    Carter was best known for his “unwavering, untiring and overwhelming” commitment to making sure that U.S. troops had the equipment to do their jobs, said Brett Lambert, head of Industrial Policy at the Pentagon.

    Many times, that lead to sending unusual equipment and supplies to troops on foreign ground to improve conditions and safety. Bomb-sniffing dogs and landmine-proof Hummers that were especially designed to climb over the mountainous terrain in Afghanistan, for example.

    Carter’s replacement has not been announced, but late Thursday, some names began to surface as possible Deputies. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, former Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and the Pentagon’s former policy chief, Michele Flournoy, are all among those named so far, as well as Linda Hudson, chief executive of BAE Systems Inc.

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is sorry to see him go, and said he “reluctantly accepted” Carter’s decision to leave the post. “He possesses an unparalleled knowledge of every facet of America’s defense enterprise, having worked directly and indirectly for eleven secretaries of defense over the course of his storied career,” Hagel said in a statement.

    Carter was apparently waiting for some of the dust to clear from the present mess in Washington, but ran out of time. “I have decided that this situation might well continue and I don’t want any more time to pass before giving you the opportunity to begin a smooth transition,” Carter said in his resignation letter to Hagel.

    Carter said he has planned for a long time to step down on December 4 of this year, but delayed his announcement because of the cloudiness of the financial situation at the Defense Department, which has been affected by the partial government shutdown that started on October 1.

    Image via wikipedia

  • Google Image Ironic Amid Government Shutdown?

    If you’re familiar with social media in any way, then you’re probably familiar with the phrase, “That awkward moment when…” Today, anyone who has internet and uses Google as their primary search engine will be able to feast their eyes upon their custom graphic for today. Today, October 1, 2013 marks the 123rd anniversary of Yosemite National Park. It also marks the first time in seventeen years where the United States government has shutdown.

    Now we must commence with the phrase: “That awkward moment when Google makes a graphic celebrating a national park’s anniversary on the day that the government shuts down.” It’s also an awkward moment when non essential workers are furloughed and even more so of an awkward moment when citizens and tourists alike are unable to visit the park. It would seem not only ridiculous but also a complete injustice.

    This is the case for all national parks and monuments across the nation.

    How does one go about remedying this issue? Well both Republicans and Democrats would have to agree on something, for once, and come to a deal that will address our nation’s debts while still trying to tack on something else they don’t necessarily agree on, good ole’ “Obamacare” (for those of you that have been living under a rock). Then once Congress votes on a resolution, they then have to get it passed by the Senate.

    Sounds like a walk in the park right? Absolutely not! If it were that simple then it would seem that our congress and our senate, the people we U.S. citizens vote into office, would have been able to come to some sort of agreement before the national deadline, which was before the clock struck twelve, signifying not only the first of the lovely month of October, but also this historic day that is the 123rd anniversary of Yosemite National Park.

    The significance of this day may be overshadowed by a historic tragedy and, if I may be frank, global embarrassment. One has to wonder, did no other event occur on this day in history, or do the designers over at Google have a sense of humor, or did the people at Google just want to celebrate this day for the park being that it will be highly unlikely that any celebration of sorts will be taking place within the national landmark?

    Either way, thanks Google for the reminder, my condolences to the 800,000 people employed by the government that will be furloughed until further notice, let’s try and work together dear republicans and democrats and most importantly, Happy Anniversary Yosemite National Park!

    Image via Google.

  • Government Shutdown: Congress Misses Deadline, Obama Tweets

    Another year, another threat of government shutdown–only this time, it happened. After Democrats and Republicans in Congress made the new budget dependent on whether Obamacare remained funded, the October 1 deadline at midnight was missed, and the shutdown is in process.

    Office of Management and Budget director Sylvia Burwell said earlier this evening that there was no “clear indication” that Congress would reach an agreement. “Agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations,” she said. “We urge Congress to act quickly…to pass a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, and to restore the operation of critical public services and programs that will be impacted by a lapse in appropriations.”

    The Senate and the House of Representatives have both had multiple chances to avoid the shutdown. The Republican-controlled House worked over the weekend and passed a resolution on Sunday morning that would postpone forcing people to purchase health insurance for a year. The Senate voted 54-46 to reject the resolution on Monday.

    Both sides are passing blame and are accusing the other of essentially holding the government hostage. Democrats are pointing fingers at Republicans for insisting that Obamacare be defunded, while Republicans are accusing President Obama and Democrats of not being open to compromise.

    “One faction in one branch of government doesn’t get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election,” Obama said as the deadline approached. “You don’t get to extract a ransom for doing your job.” House Speaker John Boehner said that he spoke to the president on Monday night, but that Obama’s stance was, “I’m not going to negotiate. I’m not going to negotiate.”

    The president’s Twitter page included a series of tweets on the shutdown just minutes after midnight.

    The big question, of course, is what effect will Congress’s lack of being able to reach an agreement have on the people?

    The good news is that a government shutdown doesn’t mean that all government programs are halted. The bad news is that a lot of government workers will be furloughed until the folks in Washington D.C. can get things straightened out.

    According to the L.A. Times, there are three major groups that won’t be affected. The first group includes programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The second group includes groups that are “necessary to protect life or property,” such as law enforcement, military and intelligence agencies. The final group that will remain open, at least temporarily, are those that have other sources of income, such as courts.

    Close to a million government employees will be furloughed, which means they will be out of work with no pay until the government shutdown is over. This includes those who work for national parks, federal museums and IRS call centers. Department of Health and Human Services has said it will furlough 52 percent its employees if there’s a shutdown. Military personnel will remain active, but won’t get paid until Congress makes the funds available.

    Despite the finger pointing between members of Congress, it looks like a lot of people, regardless of whether they identify as Republican, Democrat or otherwise, are uniting against the politicians for being unable to do their jobs, so maybe something positive will come from the current mess.

    What do you think about the government shutdown? Respond below.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMpHmy26M4Q

    Image via YouTube

  • Obamacare Exemptions: Is Congress Exempt?

    Obamacare Exemptions: Is Congress Exempt?

    So far several rumors have been spread in an attempt to get citizens to take a stand against Obamacare (also known as the Affordable Care Act) and ask their Congressmen to repeal the law. We’ve heard about the death panels that were going to leave the elderly and disabled out to dry and about healthcare rationing, both of which are myths.

    The latest story that is making rounds while the threat of a government shutdown looms (again) is that members of Congress will be exempt under Obamacare, which has certainly riled up some people. After all, if Obamacare isn’t good enough for Congress, it’s not good enough for us, right? As it turns out, that’s not quite the truth, which is a lot less interesting than the rumor that has left many outraged:

    According to Republican Senator David Vitter, “President Obama recently issued a special rule for Congress and congressional staff to get a special subsidy to purchase health insurance on the Obamacare Exchange unavailable to every other American at similar income levels,” said Vitter. “That’s an exemption, plain and simple.”

    There are several exemptions under Obamacare, but Congress members aren’t on the list:

    Individuals who cannot afford coverage.
    Individuals with household income below the filing threshold.
    Members of federally recognized Indian tribes.
    Individuals who experience a hardship.
    Individuals who experience a short coverage gap.
    Members of certain religious sects.
    Members of a health care sharing ministry.
    Incarcerated individuals.
    Individuals who are not lawfully present.

    Vitter is right that there is a special provision for Congress, but calling it an exemption doesn’t fit the bill, especially not in the way most people think when they hear about Obamacare exemptions. According to The Hill, members of Congress and their staff won’t be allowed to get coverage under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (the insurance plan they’re currently on) under Obamacare. Instead, they will have to purchase their insurance through the Obamacare exchange.

    So, no, Congress isn’t exempt under Obamacare–at least not in the way you probably thought. Should there be any provisions for Congress under the Affordable Care Act? You decide, but at least rest easy knowing that no matter what happens at midnight tonight, that things aren’t quite as bad as you thought.

    Image via YouTube

  • Google Helps Get The World’s Constitutions Online And Searchable

    In its ongoing mission to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” Google has contributed to the creation of new project from the Comparative Constitutions Project called Constitute. This is a site that digitizes the world’s constitutions, and makes them searchable.

    The project is being supported by Google Ideas, specifically. This is the branch of Google that has dealt with such projects as Small Arms & Ammunition Data Visualization, Cloud-based surveys in fragile states, a human trafficking hotline network, a network against violent extremism and the Network Mapper.

    “Google Ideas seeds technology-driven initiatives by connecting users, experts and engineers around critical issues that people face in times of conflict, instability or repression,” Google explains. “We seek to reframe issues and work with partners ranging from technology companies to non-profits and academic institutions. With our partners we aim to build technology-based solutions that can drive positive impact at scale. Often these solutions are open-sourced to enable others to re-purpose them for new markets or different problems.”

    The Comparative Constitutions Project aims to “investigate the sources and consequences of constitutional choices,” says its website.

    On the Constitute site, users can browse constitutions by tagged topics, such as “Duty to serve in the military” or “Right to form political parties,” or by country. Things can get a lot more specific with search function.

    Constitute Search

    There are 350 pre-tagged themes that can be browsed.

    “The process of redesigning and drafting a new constitution can play a critical role in uniting a country, especially following periods of conflict and instability,” says Google Ideas product manager Sara “Scout” Sinclair Brody. “In the past, it’s been difficult to access and compare existing constitutional documents and language—which is critical to drafters—because the texts are locked up in libraries or on the hard drives of constitutional experts. Although the process of drafting constitutions has evolved from chisels and stone tablets to pens and modern computers, there has been little innovation in how their content is sourced and referenced. ”

    “Our aim is to arm drafters with a better tool for constitution design and writing,” she says. “We also hope citizens will use Constitute to learn more about their own constitutions, and those of countries around the world.”

    This could turn out to be a useful resource for years to come. According to Google, there are about five new constitutions written each year. 20-30 of them, Google says, are amended or revised each year.

    A week earlier, and they could’ve launched on Constitution Day here in the U.S.

  • Healthcare Law, Is Everyone Ready For It?

    Healthcare Law, Is Everyone Ready For It?

    It’s rapidly approaching. That time when laws within the United States force a change in the healthcare payment structure. Are we all ready for it? What were the steps that led to this change?

    President Obama shared his reasoning behind promoting an overhaul of the United States healthcare system. In a speech presented to the American Medical Association President Obama explained his decision to continue pressing for reform within the complex system. “The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy. It’s an escalating burden on our families and businesses. It’s a ticking time bomb for the federal budget. And it is unsustainable for the United States of America. If we fail to act, one out of every five dollars we earn will be spent on health care within a decade. So, to say it as plainly as I can, health care is the single most important thing we can do for America’s long-term fiscal health. That is a fact. That’s a fact,” President Obama said.

    Regarding opposition to such a reform, the president claimed that the result for health care programs would eventually, “swamp our federal and state budgets, and impose a vicious choice of either unprecedented tax hikes, or overwhelming deficits, or drastic cuts in our federal and state budgets.”

    The healthcare reform will begin on October 1st of this year where millions of uninsured Americans will have the opportunity to receive governmental subsidies in order to purchase health insurance. Though the possibility of technical glitches occurring is possible, the likely outcome of a complete shutdown is unlikely. According to Paul Van de Water from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “The effects of a government shutdown on the implementation of the ACA (Affordable Care Act) are likely to be pretty small.”

    Government officials are bracing for the activity next month by monitoring the Twitter account, Healthcare.gov and posting frequent updates.

    Not everyone is convinced that his reform will do what is says. Many hope further improvements are on the horizon.

    [Image Via Wikimedia Commons And Courtesy Of Elizabeth Cromwell]

  • Obamacare at Risk of Being Defunded by Republicans

    The new agenda for House Republicans is drawing national attention, after they are pushing legislation introduced Wednesday in an attempt to defund Obamacare. Using the upcoming budget deadline, John Boehner, R-Ohio, is one that is leading this effort, taking one more stab to do away with President Barack Obama’s health care reform law.

    “We’re going to continue to do everything we can to repeal the president’s failed healthcare law,” Boehner told reporters on Capitol Hill. He stated the House will pass a resolution “that locks the sequester savings in and defunds Obamacare.”

    This agenda is to appease conservatives who vowed to force a government shutdown unless Obamacare was defunded, but is destined to die in the Democratic Senate. This feud to fund the government between House Republicans, Senate Democrats and Obama has the potential for a government shut down, with the September 30 deadline approaching.

    “There should be no conversation about shutting the government down,” Boehner said. “That’s not the goal here.”

    House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Wednesday that Republicans would move to delay Obamacare for a year, which is a seemingly simple offer, to negotiate for a raising the debt limit in order to avoid government shut down at the end of September.
    “In the coming week we will unveil a plan to extend our nation’s ability to borrow, while delaying Obamacare and protecting working, middle-class families from its horrific effects,” Cantor said.

    Despite more than 40 attempts to vote to repeal the 2010 law, Republicans are live up to their vows to “repeal and replace” the existing law, using any means necessary.

    “You have never seen in the history of the United States the debt ceiling or the threat of not raising the debt ceiling being used to extort a president or a governing party,” Obama told the group of business leaders. He said such a precedent would “fundamentally change how American government functions.”

  • Leavenworth Prison May Be Bradley Manning’s New Home

    Earlier today we brought you news that Bradley Manning, the Army private convicted of providing over 700,000 classified documents to WikiLeaks, had been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Now it appears that we know which prison he’ll be going to. Manning’s lawyer told reporters in the courtroom today that his client would be headed to Leavenworth Prison in Kansas.

    The military prison, which most people know by its Hollywood reputation, is situated on the grounds of the old Fort Leavenworth. The fort was built in 1827 as a fairly typical frontier Army fort. Nearly fifty years later, in 1875, it was chosen to be the site of a military prison housing 300 inmates. In 1895 the War Department handed control of the prison over to the Department of Justice. Today the site is home to three separate prisons, all for male inmates only: a civilian prison, the United States Disciplinary Barracks, and the Midwest Joint Correctional Facility. The latter two are both U.S. military prisons. The USDB is a maximum security prison, while the MJCF is a medium security facility. It is not yet clear which of the two facilities will house Private Manning as he serves his sentence.

    Both the military and civilian facilities at Leavenworth have played host to quite a few notable prisoners, both civilians and military personnel. German POWs were held there during World War 2 and Mennonite conscientious objectors where housed there during World War 1. Irish mob boss Whitey Bulger did a year at Leavenworth as part of a 9-year sentence for burglary in the ’60s. Robert Stroud, better known as the Bird Man of Alcatraz, was at Leavenworth for 30 years before being transferred to Alcatraz, and it was in his cell at Leavenworth that he began keeping and studying the birds that spawned his nickname. James Earl Ray, who assassinated Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 did a three-year stint at Leavenworth from 1955 to 1958 for forgery. NFL quarterback Michael Vick served 23 months for running a dog fighting ring before being released in 2009.

    And now Bradley Manning will begin what could be a 35-year stint at the prison. What’s more, there’s a good chance that Manning will be joined soon by Nidal Hassan, who is currently standing trial for murdering 13 people and wounding 30 in a 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood.

    There is some hope for Manning, however. As noted in our report this morning, there’s a good chance that he will not serve the entirety of his 35-year sentence. He will be credited with time served plus 112 days, which accounts for nearly four of his 35 years. Additionally he will be eligible for parole in as few as eight or nine years.

  • Bradley Manning Sentenced To 35 Years For Wikileaks Release

    Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison today for providing WikiLeaks with 700,000 classified government documents in 2010.

    He was found not guilty of the most serious charge against him, “aiding the enemy,” but was found guilty on charges under the Espionage Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the code of military justice.

    Manning was also received a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to private (from private first class). He is also forced to forfeit pay and benefits.

    Col. Morris Davis, assistant professor at Howard Law and former Gitmo chief prosecutor, had this to say:

    Not the worst scenario for Manning, who faced up to 90 years. He will reportedly be credited with the 1,294 days he spent in pre-trial confinement plus an additional 112 days.

    Wikleaks points to a statement from the Center for Constitutional Rights, which condemns Manning’s sentence, saying he should have never been prosecuted. Here’s the full statement:

    We are outraged that a whistleblower and a patriot has been sentenced on a conviction under the Espionage Act. The government has stretched this archaic and discredited law to send an unmistakable warning to potential whistleblowers and journalists willing to publish their information. We can only hope that Manning’s courage will continue to inspire others who witness state crimes to speak up.

    This show trial was a frontal assault on the First Amendment, from the way the prosecution twisted Manning’s actions to blur the distinction between whistleblowing and spying to the government’s tireless efforts to obstruct media coverage of the proceedings. It is a travesty of justice that Manning, who helped bring to light the criminality of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, is being punished while the alleged perpetrators of the crimes he exposed are not even investigated. Every aspect of this case sets a dangerous precedent for future prosecutions of whistleblowers – who play an essential role in democratic government by telling us the truth about government wrongdoing – and we fear for the future of our country in the wake of this case.

    We must channel our outrage and continue building political pressure for Manning’s freedom. President Obama should pardon Bradley Manning, and if he refuses, a presidential pardon must be an election issue in 2016.

    Manning’s supporters are sharing their reactions on Twitter: